National Capital Private Hospital owned by Healthscope changed the surgical landscape in Canberra on Saturday morning 11th May 2019 with the first local commercial use of the latest in surgical robotics – the ROSA robotic total knee replacement system.
Initially developed for brain surgery in France, the ROSA robot arrived in Canberra as part of a multi-robot acquisition by National Capital Private Hospital (NCPH).
NCPH General Manager, Ms Elizabeth Porritt, said “The acquisition of the ROSA system, along with a da Vinci robot and the Mako systems, is a continuation of our multi-million-dollar investment and will contribute to make the hospital a robotic centre of surgical excellence in the ACT and southern New South Wales regions.”
“Australia has been fortunate to be the first market to gain access to this exciting ROSA technology. To date, cases have been completed in Victoria and Sydney, and Canberra is now the fourth centre in Australia to get this technology for total knee replacements” Ms. Porritt continued.
“Dr Brendan Klar from the Canberra Knee Clinic is the first surgeon in the ACT to be trained in the use of the ROSA total knee replacement (TKR) system, and to offer his patients access to this technology.”
“The engagement of robotics in the surgical process, combined with innovations in implant technology and operating procedures, will likely improve accuracy in total knee replacements, potentially improving post-operative outcomes for patients and getting them back on their feet as soon as possible.”
“All of these benefits add up to ensure that Canberrans and patients travelling to the hospital from across the region have access to the best technology, most skilled surgeons and innovative facilities that have only been available previously in larger metro centres. “
“This is a real game changer in Canberra,” Ms Porritt concluded.
Dr Klar and his surgical team utilised the ROSA robot on Saturday morning to perform Canberra’s first robotic total knee replacement on a local 61-year-old resident.
Dr Klar said, “I’ve been operating on knees since 1994 and have performed thousands of total knee replacements. Introducing the ROSA robot into my TKR procedures is one of those moments that surgeons only used to dream about.”
“To be the first surgeon in Canberra to perform a total knee replacement using ROSA is exciting not only for me, but for the whole surgical team in the operating theatre, and for our patient, Beverly, who was excited to be the first on the list when ROSA arrived in Canberra. We felt like we brought the future directly into the theatre.”
“The sub millimetric accuracy delivered by the ROSA robot will hopefully reduce the potential for recurring problems for patients and achieve consistent results that the human hand and eye together likely can’t match.”
“We are the first surgical team in the ACT and southern New South Wales to have access to this technology and have been anticipating its delivery for the last six months.”
“I was asked last week if the robots were going to put us out of work. I laughed at the prospect! A robot is a tool to enhance the skills honed by expert surgeons through decades of practice. I still perform the surgery but ROSA ensures the accuracy of what we do.”
“With Australians requesting knee replacements at an all-time high, 57,000 in 2018 alone across Australia, it is extremely exciting to be able to make this technology available to our patients. Combining market leading implants with ROSA accuracy holds exciting promise for patient outcomes. Having ROSA on our staff at National Capital Private Hospital is certainly a welcome addition to our surgical team,” Dr Klar concluded.
The first operation using the ROSA system in Canberra successfully took place at 9am on Saturday 11th May 2019 local time at National Capital Private Hospital, Garran, ACT.
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